DEUS ARRAKIS

It is a hard fact to see a legend of electronic music leave us this year. I really loved his work on the early Tangerine Dream albums, he just had a way of making musical landscapes at his whim, so hearing him leaving the world was pretty sad to say the least. However he was making an album before his death, and it's finally here. The last project of Klaus Schulze is a hard thing to say, but even after death, I guarantee this final work of Klaus Schulze will be as enjoyable as his other ones he has done in the past.

The album starts with Osiris, an 18 minute 4 piece suite. Klaus always had a sort of knack for creating a tranquil and spacey feel in his songs, and these aspects helped shape his music all these years into what we now know and love today. Osiris definitely continues the mantle of the spacey, sci-fi soundscapes. I also love how each part takes their time in exploring these intricate soundscapes. Each part feels distinct from one another, but they all share the same core composition. Speaking of which, the composition in this song is just very beautiful. Every little bit of ambience, feels, and technicalities all create a song that really drives home Klaus' work effort and what he did for a living. The cool tranquilities of the synths, the weird yet boundless keyboard playing, and the beautiful composition and mixing work really makes this song a master class of New Age and Progressive Electronic music. It is the beauty of this album.

The next track, Seth, is a 7 part, 30+ minute suite. Where Osiris was based in beauty, Seth feels sad and anxiety driven. It has a layer of mystery unkempt by chains of traditional feelings new age usually provokes. I really love this more gothic and surreal take on the notably happy and whimsical genre of new age, making it feel almost haunting. As much as it is mysterious and cryptic, it also feels very chilled in its direction. It has a great vibe going on, creating a beautiful and surreal soundscape that is as much as it is almost cryptic as it is beautiful. With how long the song is too, it really explores this weird and surreal environment to the furthest it can possibly go, making each part feel like pieces straight from either a horror film or a post apocalyptic love story. The fourth part hits the hardest with that violin. It feels almost like a funeral is being held in space. Sadly fitting due to what transpired earlier this year. However while it is sad, I do feel though of it being a comforting experience, one which brings a calming experience despite the cryptically arranged compositions telling otherwise. Something majestic in a new light.

And lastly is Der Hauch des Lebens, a 5 piece suite. This one is particularly intriguing since it goes for pure ambience. This song is a very chilling sounding song that feels almost otherworldly. The feelings I get here seem almost horror like, and with the whole space feel this whole entire album gives off, something ambient, vast, creepy, and deep fits perfectly with the feel the album gives off and I think is a pretty suitable closing for this album that I feel as not only one of the best in Prog Electronic music, but also one of the best this year. It really drives home how big and vast life truly is and whether we should fear it or embrace it, but with Klaus Schulze's passing, I feel as though embracing the unknown can be more rewarding then not.

I know this wasn't my longest review yet, but this album really is something special. It is ethereally beautiful in how it delivers its soundscapes perfectly and how Klaus managed to make this a texturally wonderful album enriched with magnificent beauty, cryptic feels, and cool vibes really shows a testament to how good his work is and how grand of a figure he truly is. I'd say this is a must listen if you want something different from this year and also if you want some great ambient and New Age music.